What point and shoot?
I have a friend at work that knows I am a photographer, and has asked for my help. Bob has asked for help choosing a camera, and I have no idea what a good P&S is. I have a 1D2N, and 20D, several L lenses, but I have to admit my ignorance in the P&S market!
Are Canon P&S cameras better then the competition?
If not what are good ones?
Is the S3 worth the wait till May?
Thank you for any input you can help me with, I want to make a good recommendation, but don't know where to start.
Oh ya, we are working with a $500 budget +/- a few bucks.
Are Canon P&S cameras better then the competition?
If not what are good ones?
Is the S3 worth the wait till May?
Thank you for any input you can help me with, I want to make a good recommendation, but don't know where to start.
Oh ya, we are working with a $500 budget +/- a few bucks.
Mike LaPorte
Perfect Pix
Perfect Pix
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I have found that for those who are computer capable enough to navigate the tasks of getting the pics off the camera, sorting them, emailing them and printing/ordering prints, then nearly any will do: I like the Canon S80, the Panasonic models and the new Pentax T10 looks really sweet for example.
While it seems remarkable for those of use that use Photoshop and post pics on Smugmug that someone could have problems with getting pics off a digital camera and emailing them....this turns out to be a MAJOR issue with the majority of people from my experience.
For these folks, my recommendation is easy: Kodak. They have absolutely NAILED the ease of use around all aspects of digital photography. The Easyshare system is brilliant. My 70 yr old mother, who doesnt have a clue about email, or JPEGS, can take pictures with her Kodak, put it in the cradle, push a button, and print a picture, email me two and look at the rest. I bought an LS755 for my wife, and I no longer have to be the IT guy to support my wife each time she wants to send a photo. So, I think that Kodak may not be the best camera to take pictures with, but it is by far the best camera to enjoy pictures with. That is really what most folks want: to enjoy the pictures. We photographers tend to enjoy taking the pictures just as much, so Kodak is not what I recommend usually to photographers.
I like the new V530/V550 which are very sexy, the z730 and c3x0 line are quite nice but basic. This Easyshare extends to the higher end too with the p880 which approaches dSLRs. But I think at that point, you are beyond Easyshare.
I tend to agree with cmason in that ease of use is very important. We had to use a digital camera at a previous workplace and I was amazed at how many people did not know how to transfer a simple file from location to location.
To add to the confusion... as hobby/amateur photographer myself, there were a couple of things that were important to me. I wanted a camera that would let me take pictures easily, but also one that gave me the flexibility to learn a few more advanced aspects of photography. So I was looking for something that gave me a lot of manual control. So incidentally, I am waiting for the S3 to come out.
However, one thing that I know a lot of my friends care about is size. Can you throw the camera in a small bag? the S3 tends to be kinda big.
To be redundant, I guess the big question is, "how is he going to be using the camera?"
For a point & shoot, ~$500 is a good sized budget, I think. Have fun shopping.
To answer the what type of photography, well Bobs kids are all adults now, and no grandkids. I don't see very many sports in his future. I believe the camera is going to be used for family functions, ie barbecues, family reunions, vacations etc...
Bob has expressed an interest in being able to learn how to control certain variables like f-stop and ISO, I don't think IS is important, though it cetainly is nice.
Since I am going to be his "tech guy" I think ease of use will be important, but I can teach him how to move pictures pretty easily. Bob is not camera or computer shy, he just has not had a reason to learn PS up to this point, but I am sure he can learn the basics fairly quickly.
Perfect Pix
I really like cmason's post. I have a Canon S60 and the updated S80 cmason mentioned should be an improved model in nearly every way except Canon has removed RAW capability in the S80. The Canon S series does provide fully manual shutter speed and aperture control, which is useful when the automatic exposure just isn't cutting it (e.g., sunsets), or in your friend's case, when learning photography.
Digital cameras look very similar these days across all brands. They seem to have the same auto pre-programmed modes and options. So I agree that a key differentiator is ease of use as with the Kodaks. Other than looking for ease of use and manual controls, you can separate special P&S cameras from the masses by looking for extra-wide wide angle zooms (useful for interior group shots), unusually low-noise low-light or high-ISO sensitivity (not sure who's the best here, certainly not my Canon S60).
Another ease-of-use point. Last time I checked, Canon cameras do not work as USB Mass Storage devices. On my Mac at least, that means if you connect the camera directly, some intermediary software is required to transfer the photos to disk, whether it's Canon's bundled software, iPhoto, Adobe Bridge, or iView. In contrast, the Nikon P&Ss I've seen can mount directly on the desktop as a disk and you can pull the photos right off with no extra software. This is not an issue for me because I don't connect the camera directly. I skip the camera cable and use a card reader. You might let your friend know of that option because when you use a card reader, you never have to worry about camera drivers or software compatibility.
Perfect Pix